AN: This chapter doesn't really need to be read in my opinion as it you won't totally lose out on any information related in later chapters; but it does add a little something if you do read. Also just a heads up things are gonna get a bit gruesome by the end of this chapter and it's not for the faint of heart in my opinion.
This chapter may seem somewhat confusing and maybe cryptic at first but bear with it, because I think I wrote it pretty well for what it's worth and I like to think that it's also a tiny bit Meta in my opinion.
Also send me some reviews, I'd like to know if the story so far is ok or not. I will keep writing regardless, but the reviews will motivate me and speed along the process.
Chapter 2: Dethrone.
Darkness, that's all there is; an endless expanse of darkness with no end in sight. "Where am I, what am I?" I ask no one in particular. Particles of sound from a world outside my own reach my ears. I am awakened from a sleep and from a dream I won't remember, and I feel swaddled by an urgent deep cry echoing from outside my cocoon of black mist. I try to reach out and feel for anything, anything at all only to be restrained from any sort of movement. I feel constricted like I'm being crushed and it's only becoming tighter. "Get out, Get out! GET OUT! I HAVE TO GET OUT!" I think in a panic. Desperately I fight the unknown being try to suffocate me and after a moment of frantic thrashing, a jagged line of light appears before me.
I call out to the light, it doesn't answer. I try to move towards it and it widens by a small fraction. I grow impatient and throw myself at it forcefully, it widens by another fraction. For what seems like an eternity I continue to push against the barrier keeping me from the light. With my rage completely boiling over at being potentially trapped in perpetual darkness, put everything ounce of strength I could muster into a final push.
Suddenly I am engulfed in a cold, bright shouting light and the urgent deep sound from earlier increase in volume by at least five times. But this is all overlooked by an entirely new sensation, dry and fresh air! I slowly breathe in the enticing substance all around and let it fill my lungs. After a few long breaths I slowly pry open my eyes that I instinctively closed after being thrust upon this new environment so suddenly.
Feeling the surface in front of me, it was an uncharacteristically warm substance that flaked to the touch and mixed in with it was a slippery and odd smelling liquid. This odour was also coming from somewhere else, it took me a moment to realise it was coming from me as the same liquid slowly dripped off of my body. In an attempt to rid myself of this viscous fluid reflexively stretched out my arms and shook my body effectively shaking off any excess liquid that hadn't already fallen to the floor.
However, soon my attention was caught by the thing that had been constantly urging me on into this world. Finally looking at my surroundings of what seemed to be a deep cavern, with a miniature lake pooling at the centre; in the centre of this lake was where I was perched on a small rock island. I crawled my way down the island to where the water was lightly washing up against a smooth stone plate jutting out and over the water.
Resting upon this plate was something truly curious. It was a huge reptilian looking body covered in scales that all meshed together to form its armoured hide. Wrapped around itself in a lazy manner was its tail which was nearly twice the length of entire body and that ended in spiked mace. Its head had two large horns that ran off the back of the head and scooped up at the tips. The horns actually lined up perfectly with its head all the way to its lengthy snout. Its eyes were as red as the coating on the floor and looked as if they were made from evil itself. It also had spikes that ran along its back that rose towards the centre and got smaller towards the tail. Its hind legs and feet were covered in larger scales than its body and ended in razor sharp talons. But its front legs were actually part of a pair large of wings that had long arms running through them and long claws on the end.
However something was not right with this creature. As I got closer I there a steady flow of a red liquid pouring down the plate and into the water, dying the area it was flowing into a faint red. It was only then did I notice a somewhat huge open wound in its stomach. This was the source of this liquid and the reason for this monsters constant wailing. Getting closer it became aggressive and while I did feel threatened I also felt very excited at the prospect of a fight. Suddenly a thought hit me why was I here with this creature in the first place, I decided to look down and around at myself.
Looking back and forth between myself and the creature before me I realised we were one and the same albeit I was quite a bit smaller.
I approached my kin further and I immediately locked eyes with it as it shakily got up and loudly roared at me. But I knew with a wound like that it was powerless and this was proven further as it collapsed from exhaustion of the pointless effort of intimidation. Coming up to its wound, a smell flooded my nostrils. The aroma was nothing short of intoxicating, I took a few moments just to savour the smell alone. I lowered my head to the river that was still flowing like there was no tomorrow and lapped up a small amount of it.
Almost instantly I was hit with what could only be described as an absolutely euphoria. My senses became heightened beyond anything I doubt my body was capable of and my muscles that were barely capable of supporting my own weight were now effortlessly holding me up. This things blood whatever it is was clearly responsible and very powerful.
I wanted more, a lot more and I knew just where to get it. As I approached my stricken kin that was on death's door, it loudly bellowed at me. It still had a fair bit of fight left in it apparently and frankly it was becoming a nuisance. Before it had a chance to mount whatever meagre defence it had in mind, I was upon it. I latched onto its neck sinking my talons into the soft underside and squeezed with my newfound strength. The fresh cuts and added pressure made the blood hose out and stain my claws and legs. Just the sight of the blood was enough to drive me over the edge and sink my teeth into its neck. At this the creatures thrashing about increased. As I held it in place with my greater strength, I slowly brought my tail round by its head that was still thrashing from side to side in an attempt to free itself from my maw.
As I rose my tail up I could see too that it had changed as well. It ended in a spiked mace just like the other's tail, except mine had blades with jagged edges protruding from the sides of the head.
After a moment of getting used to the new weight of my tail and a few practice swings; I brought it down upon the struggling creature with a mighty swing. The first strike only dazed it momentarily before it roared back in anger. This was silenced by another swing, this one sounding out with a sickening crunch and huge wound on its head that bled profusely. Not taking any chances as well as a need to satisfy my own bloodlust, I brought my tail down upon it again in two quick consecutive hits. The final hit had completely caved in its skull and the scales had cracked down the middle with most coming completely loose altogether.
Satisfied that it would no longer be an issue I released my grip on its flesh. The only movement it showed were twitches in its limbs and around the hideously beautiful head wound. I savoured the taste of the large amount of blood I got from its neck and the splatter from the bludgeoning. The fresh taste was even more intoxicating than before driving me into a drunken stupor.
Most of the work had already been done for me with the open wound in its abdomen and its guts already spilling out. Not wasting a second longer I dove into the pile of entrails and gorged myself on the crimson bounty before me.
As I ate I could feel my body changing further from the power it was yielding. My bones begin to forcibly elongate and tear from the boundaries of my skin. My ribcage expands to twice its size and I feel my neck stretch and rip free from the skin. The blades on my tail also become bigger and expansive on the surface. The small spines on my back grew 3 times their individual sizes and new ones grew alongside these as well. My head extended further out and the horns lengthened accordingly. Lastly my fangs sharpened and actually pierced through a part of my mouth.
Throughout it all the pain had been nothing short of unbridled torment. But I didn't care as the raw feeling I was experiencing from consuming the still warm flesh now covering my skinless face.
I pull myself away from the red nirvana momentarily to look over the changes it has bestowed on me. I had grown at least double my original size on the whole. For first time I hesitantly flexed my wings out, only extending the arms a little at first. Seeing that they had grown as well and the wings skin had thickened, I flexed them out to their full length and they were nothing short of magnificent as they easily spanned at least fifty feet.
However the rest of my body was still recovering from the sudden change and taking a closer look this included the wings as well as small stretch marks were scattered along the flesh. Seeing this I quickly threw myself back into the pile of gore and gnawed, tore and devoured any bit of flesh I could see. Very quickly I could feel my body reacting to this and the outer layer of my muscles were drying out and forming skin. Not long after the skin had formed and dried had it hardened into scales and scutes all over the trunk of my body as well as most of the tail.
As I continued to eat I considered the size of the creature I was nestled in. I could only smile at the thought of becoming even stronger and larger from the sustenance the robust tissue on offer. With that thought in my head I continued with my feast for as long as I could before I became drowsy and sleep took me.
AN: What is this strange new being that we took the perspective of? What did it just cannibalize? What will it do next? All of these question will be answered in due time….or you could PM with your guesses and I could just tell you if your right or wrong.
Apologies for the painfully short chapter, I was originally planning for this to be a much, much longer chapter with a jump back to Aero and his family but I thought I delayed this long enough, so next time we will be back with the Gainsborough family.
The reason for the delay is I have been distracted with doing concept sketches for my OC and finding the right way to write this chapter was challenging also.